The days of airplane travel as a peaceful experience are long, long behind us, but what, exactly, is ticking off flyers the most these days?
A new study from the website Upgraded points looks at the pet peeves of travelers—and people had a lot to say.
The top complaint? Cancellations, which given how frequent they’ve been in 2022 isn’t a big surprise. Delays and mishandled bags rounded out the top three.
You’d expect those three items to be on the list, of course. And other easily guessed complaints about waiting in the TSA line and compensation amounts for long-delayed flights are there as well.
It’s the nitty-gritty of the survey, though, where things start get more insightful.
Airports? Flyers in this survey hated Dallas/Fort Worth the most, ranking it more difficult to fly in and out of than Atlanta’s Hartsfield or LAX in Los Angeles.
And as for the on-board behavior of other passengers, it’s seat kickers who most deserve their own circle in hell, say flyers. People who cut in line are the second most annoying and those who are rude to the airline staff rank third. (People who force small talk? They’re way down in seventh place.)
When it comes to the people around them, more (55%) would prefer to sit next to a crying baby than a fighting couple, while roughly the same number would prefer to sit next to a dog than a baby. And if the choices are a chatty seatmate or one with bad body odor, 74% are going to take the talker.
The unbelievable statistic, though? Just 40% of the respondents said it annoyed them when people clapped after a landing.
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